Clothespin



P. E. MAULL CLOTHESPIN Oct. 23, 1951 Filed Nov. 18, 1949 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and useful clothes pin and has for one of its objects to provide an exceedingly simple and effective device of this character which is unique in construction and highly efficient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothes pin constructed to constitute duplicate clamping ends whereby regardless of which end is grasped the clothes pin is in position for use and does not have to be reversed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clothes pin comprised of oppositely disposed pairs of clamping jaws, one or both jaws of each pair being transversely corrugated to form a multiplicity of gripping areas to more readily accommodate articles of various thicknesses on a clothesline.

A further object of the present invention is to provide the outer end of each jaw with an outwardly projecting lug, the lugs of each pair of companion jaws coacting to constitute a head which may be used for pressing the clothes pin onto a line holding articles to be dried, aired or the like, and said lugs also acting as pulls when the clothes pin is to be removed from the line.

It is a well known fact that persons often are required to hang out clothes in cold weather and the hands become very cold making it difficult to handle clothes pins with the freedom necessary to quickly accomplish the task. Therefore a further object of my invention is to construct a clothes pin that can be readily positioned for application to a clothesline and quickly applied and which, when mounted, will securely hold an article in place until such time as the article is to be removed.

A still further object of the invention is to construct a clothes pin of two strips of resilient metal, one or both of which are corrugated transversely, and fix said metal strips together midway their ends to provide oppositely disposed pairs of companion clamping jaws.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same I will describe its construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view on a large scale of one form of the clothes pin constructed according to my invention and shown holding an article on the clothesline.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a clothes pin of slightly different formation.

In carrying out the invention as herein embodied, reference being first had especially to Fig. 1, the reference numerals 5 and 6 represent two narrow relatively long strips of resilient material, metal by preference but other materials can be used as substitutes or equivalents.

Thev strip 5 is smooth throughout its entire length while the strip 6 is provided with a plurality of transverse corrugations l and said strips are joined together midway the ends thereof to provide oppositely disposed spring jaws 8 and 9 each having a partially open mouth I0 and II, respectively, to readily engage a line [2 and any article I3 thereon. Where the strips 5 and 6 are of metal they are joined by a rivet H! or an equivalent, such as spot welding. In this particular type of construction the corrugations are formed to provide at least three upstanding ridges on each of the corrugated members of the oppositely disposed jaws whereby the clothes pin is adapted to efiiciently engage light, heavy or thick and very heavy articles.

At both ends of each strip is formed an outwardly projecting lug l5 and the faces of adjacent or companion lugs are substantially in the same planes so that each pair of lugs at either end of the device cooperate to function as a head for applying pressure to the clothes pin when the latter is being pressed into place and also act as pulls by placing two fingers, in straddling condition, about a jaw underneath of the lugs, for withdrawing the clothes pin from the line.

In the formation of the clothes pin illustrated in Fig. 2, both strips l6 and ll are identical in structure, each having transverse corrugations [8. The two strips are joined together midway their ends to provide oppositely endwise disposed spring jaws l9 and 20, each having a partially open mouth 2| and 22, respectively. The corrugations of the two strips are disposed so that the outer ridges are directly opposite one another to provide chambers between them which can accommodate a clothesline and the folded portion of an article placed on said clothesline. The joint for the strips may be a rivet 23 or the equivalent thereof, such as a spot weld, or an integral formation where the strip material is such that it may be molded.

Like in the first described structure, an outwardly projecting lug 24 is provided at both ends of each strip and the faces of adjacent or companion lugs are in substantiall the same planes and said companion lugs cooperate to function as heads or act as pulls, as previously described.

In practice, the present clothes pin may be picked up at random and either end directed towards the clothesline for engagement therewith, or an article hung thereon, and since both ends have a head the clothes pin can be pressed into place without any unpleasant effects. The cavities formed by the corrugations readily accommodate bulkiness of the clothesline and the folded portion of an article placed thereon and the adjacent lower inner ridges firmly clam the article in place and because of the plurality of corrugations in each clamping jaw the clothes pin efiiciently works on several varying thicknesses of articles without undue strain on the clothes pin or excessive wear resulting effects on the article being fastened in place. Likewise the clothes pin may be easily and quickly removed by simply grasping it underneath of the lugs at the upper end and utilizing said lugs as a pull.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:

1. A clothes pin consisting of two parallel strips of; resilient material imposed face to face and joined together midway between the ends thereof forming endwise oppositely disposed spring clamping ja'ws having constantly partially open mouths, at least one of said strips having transverse corrugations, and outwardly projecting lugs at both ends of both strips substantially at right angles to said strips, the lugs of each pair coacting to function as a head and a pull.

2. A clothes pin comprising a pair of transversely corrugated resilient metal strips imposed with broad faces towards one another and the outer ridges of the corrugations oppositely disposed, means to join said strips midway their ends to form two endwise oppositely disposed clamp- 4 ing jaws having constantly partially open mouths, and outwardly projecting lugs at both ends of both strips substantially at right angles to the planes of said strips, the adjacent lugs of the two strips coacting to function as heads and pulls.

3. A clothes pin comprising a smooth resilient material strip, a second resilient material strip transversely corrugated throughout its entire length, said strips mounted face to face in parallel planes, means to join said strips together midway their ends which are free to form two endwise oppositely disposed clamping jaws having constantly partially open mouths, and lugs projecting at substantially right angles to the planes of the material strips outwardly from both of the free ends of each strip beyond the mouths, the adjacent lugs of the two strips coacting to provide heads and pulls, one at each end of the clothes pin.

PERRY E. MAULL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 297,744 Bishop Apr. 29, 1884 2,009,991 Anderson Aug. 6, 1935 2,508,785 Gorny May 23, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,364 Great Britain of 1887 

